Amalgamating machine



June 7, 1927.

[331,434 C. E. SMITH AMALGAMATING MACHINE Filed Sept. 28. 1925 27 I v I INVENTOR. /4 Cd/lfiZJm/ifi,

8 8 I I, y I v v 2/ H4 {3/ fizz-7&6 6 /z 61 4 ATTORNEY.

Patented June 7, 1927.

;; UNITE -s r-Ares AT NTforeice, i

CHARLES E. SMITH, oFnzUsA; CALIFORNIA.

' AMALGAMATING MACHINE,

Application filed September 28,1925. Serial No. 59,079. a

My invention relates to amalgamating and concentrat ng machines, andthe ob ects are to provide aneflicient, simple and efiective' the riffle plates shown, in on line 4-4 thereof. Figure 5 is a fragmentary Figure4. Figure 6 is a sectional viewtaken on line 66 of Figure 2. l

a Figure 7 is a sectional'view taken-011 line l('Of Figure 1.

plan View of lever adjustments of the sluice in my ma chine.

Referring to the drawings in which like characters of "reference designate similar parts, my machine comprises a supporting J frame '1 with a standard 10 positioned onthe forward end thereof and the upright mem-- v bers 11 are positioned onthe rear portion,

thereof. A set of-bearings 6. and 7 are formed in the frontlower and upper rear portions of said upright members 11, therebeing shafts 12 and 15 rotatably bearing 1n said bearings 6 and 7 respectively. A .set of supporting links 4 and 5 are secured to the shafts 12 and*13, the said links 4 being extended upwardly; and the links-5 being extended downwardly.

A sluice way 2 isprov ded Witha setof bearings 8 and 9 secured to the lower rear and lower front ends thereofyrespectively, V and the shafts 14 and 13, are rotatably positioned in said bearings 8 and 9 respectively, the shafts 14 and;.13 being secured tothe extended ends of'the said links 4 and 5, respectively. The sluice 2-comprisesi a floor 23, anendwall 21 and; the side walls 22, with the said bearings 8 and 9sec1ured .thereto as hereinafter described. 1 I

The forward inner end or the-sluice 2 lined'with a-copper' pan. 27,cover1ngg-thef 5 5 floor 23, and the walls. 21 '-22 respectively,

mined diameters, .v

View taken on line Figure4is a fragmentary si de viewofii Figure 1, taken Figure 8 is a ,diagram illustrating the the, rear port-ion of the, pan being formed with a flange of a predetermined height;

A box?) composed of a floor 41 and side's42 1s detachably suspended in the pan 27 .upon the chps 24 allowing. a predetermined space 43therebetween, the clips 24, being secured to the box 3 and reaching around the top edges ofthe sluice 2, The forward half, of I the floor 41 in the box 3 is :provided with holes 40 passing 'therethrough of predeter-V' A riffle producing member 25 is composed of two side members 261andthe upwardly and'rearwardly disposed baffle plates 16 extendfrom theflpor 23,1are securedin relat'ively disposed grooves'18 and extend vbetween the said side members 26, there being; horizontal flanges 17 formed-integral with the upper longitudinal edges-ofthe respectiveplates 16, said-flanges 17 being secured to themembers 26 jby screws' 19 through the portions of the fianges44 extending over the saidmembers 26, said nembers 25 being detachablypositioned in the sluice 2.f j

A head member 28 issecured around the.

front, bottom and sides of the sluice 2 by the flanges-34, said flanges34 being relatively formed on' the, member 28, aflange 33 .is

formed under the. lower rear portion of the member 28' and extends downwardly adistance, a pin 31 is horizontally extended through .a, bore 44 intheflange 33 by a nut 38,'a.he ad 39iis;formed on the forwardly extended portion of the bolt 31 and a spring 29is positioned in compression between the said head-39 and its flange 33. M A yoke 35: is formed in the head member 28 toisupport a joint--36fdisposed a. distance forwardly I from the said flange 34.. A connectingrod 32 is formed with a shank 45, a collar 46 secured on said shank,'a. bearing member 47 on the forward end thereof, and a nut 37 adjustably mounted upon the rear end there of. 'The said shank .45 is operatively POST,

tioned in the joint 36 andthe collar 46 I bears upon the outer-faceofsaidjoint, and,

aspring' 3O isin turn mounted in compres-,, sionbetween the joint 36 and the said nut 37.

i The standard 10 is composed of a table 68. connectcd'between the right and left sides of the frame 1, the central 'upper'portion of" whichis formed witha longitudinal way 58, a A head 59 is formed :with a longitudinal way 60positioned in-al-inement with said wayi58, and the head 59 belngysecured .in'

place by the pins 61a'stshown in Figure 7.

The blocks 62 are slidably positionedbetweenthe saidwvays 58 and60- by "being clamped together opposite the shoulders 69 in the shafts 63 and-64. 'l he bearing of the connecting rod 32 is operatively mountedron the shaft 63 -between..,the; ways 58 and 60, and the bearing. 56 is operatively mounted on the shaft "64" between the said ways 58 and'60, thebearing 56 being integral with one end of the 'co'nnecting rod'55,and

' the straps 71 are-integral with the opposite upon the shaft 54L 1. i

' portion of the standard'10 in alinenient with 6' said sluice2 upon-bolts 79 in ali'neinent'with end there f; A

' The bearings 57 are-formed on the vfront upper end of the standard 10, a shaft 54 is rotatably mounted in the bearings 57 and an eccentric head 70is secured to the said shaft 54f in alinement with the connectingrod 55. I motor 65 .is secured to the front lower end of-the fra1ne-1 with its-pulley 72 posi-- tioned in alinement with the tight and loose pulleys 67,said pulleysi;67 being mounted A receptacle 51--is' formed with legs 73 be secured to the frame 1 and the upright 11 1 by bolts'74, and a pipe 534s connectedto the lower end thereof, and-a bracket 52 is.

removably fitted into the. receptacle 51.

The hereinbefore" described sluiceway 2 and box 3 are'provided with" relatively positioned lugs and 49 respectively, to receive a-lo'ck 48asfjshown in FlgureB; f A bumper 75,is formedon the upperrear the head 39 of the hereinbefore described pin 31.

Clamps 80 are secured to thesides 22 of the top edge of the riflle side members 26.

setof lugs 49 and ,50 are formed on adjacent faces of the'box 3 andthe sluice'2 to receive a lock 48 as shown inFigure 3.

I the said ores are first delivered into the box The hereinbefore described bearings 15 are secured slidably inlongitudinal slots-76' by the set screws 77 and 78in therear and front ends of said slots 76 for regulating the lift and stroke of the sluice and rilfle mean.

' When-it isdesired to amalgamate' and concentrate ores from a mill or a placerbed 3'through a conveyor means, not shown, the

' 7 motor being in operation rotates the shaft- 54' in its bearings 57 by the pulley 72, when the belt 66 is on the right pulley 67", by first shifting the said belt from the loose 67 in the customary manner. i

The rotary movement of theshaft-54' in turn rotates the cam Withinthe connect- 9 ing rod straps 71, thusoscillating the connecting rod 55, thebearing 56 and'the shaft 64 respectively, the 'shaft64 being secured bet-ween the blocks 62 cause the said bearing.

56 to rotate on the shaft 64 The oscillating movement'of the rod 55 thu scauses the blocks 62 to run back and forth between their ways 58 and 60 and in turn pushes the pulley shaft 63 with the bearing 47- and its shank 45'backand forth by allowing said shank '45 to compensate its movements with the vhead 2 8 withinfthe;joint 36. between the collar 46 and the spring 36. The compression of, thesprin'g being adjusted bythe nut 37 to derive the required absorption of the, vibratory stresses between the shank 45 and the head 28 when pulling the said head forwardly. When the head 28. is being pulled forwardly as hereinbefore described, the head 39 on the pin 31 willstrike the bumper with sufiicient force to shiftthe materials in the box 3, pan '27, and sluice 2' respec-; 'tively, by causing the spring 29 to be compressed between the saidhead 39 and flange 33, and the unbalanced forces between the springs 29 and 30'are equalized by the movements of the pin 31 and shank 45, within the bore 44 and-joint36, respectively. The oscillatory movement of'the-head 28 causes -the,sluice 2 to move back and forth upon its bearings-8 'and'9, saidbearings being suspendedupon the links 4 and 5by the shafts 14and13 respectively, and thelinks4 and 5 are in turn supported by the shafts 12' and 15 within their bearings 6 and 7 respectively;

\Vhen it is. desired to lengthen the back and forth movementof the sluice 2,'then-uts 38 and37 are adjnstedon the pin-31 and 'shank 45 to decrease the compression" mo ment of the spring 29 and increase the com- I pression; moment of thesaid spring 30 re-' 'spectively, thus when ithehead 28 is drawn forward-till the head 39 strikes the bumper 75,' the decreased moment of the spring 29 in proportion to the spring 30 will permit thesaid spring to remain a fuller length and by the increased length of the spring J 30 between the joint 36 and nut 37 the stroke of the said sluice, is likewise increased. and whenv it is desired to shorten the back and forth movement of the said sluice 2 thenuts'38 and 37 are'in turn adjusted to increase' the compression moment ofthe spring 30' respect vely as hereinafter and rifile apparatus 25, the pan 27 is placedflush with the front endof the sluice 2, and

the box 3 is lowered into thejpan 27 with the catch 84 and 'li'1gs-49-50 in position to be secured in place by the lock 48 as -shown in Figure 3, and the riflle apparatus 25 is in turn clampedflu'shto the floor 23 between the side walls 22 by holding the side members 26 securely-by the clamps 80 upon the bolts 9. "The hereinbefore described sluice assembly l'being pf; a construction suitable.

I for use on a concentrating table the pres enttype. I l/Vith the hereinbefore described adjustable operation of. my machine valuable minerals may be amalgamated and concentrated by depos1t1ng the ores from a mill or placer bed through a suitable conveyor means, not

in the bottom of the pan 27, thus the valuable minerals, preferably gold, are amalgamated with said mercury to be removed when the bottom of the pan is filled and the amalgamation operation is renewed by replenishing the pan w1th a new supply of mercury. As the back and forth movement of the machine. contmues the flow of water, pulp and minerals escapmg the amalgamating process pass over the gates'QO into said sluice, the minerals still remaining in the pulp are again subjected to the back and forth movement of the machine in the water flowing over the baffle plates 16, thus the minerals being of a greater specific gravity than the pulp or water of combination, the

said minerals are concentrated behind the baffle plates 16 and beneath the flanges 17 as shown at 82 in Figure .4. After the amalgamation and concentration operation has taken place the overflow pulp and water is deposited into the open receptacle 51 and al-' lowed to discharge through the drain pipe 53 to a refuse dump, not shown. 7 When it is desired to remove the concentrates 82 from my machine the rilfle apparatus 25 is first removed from the sluice 2 by releasing the clamps 80 upon the bolts 79. The concentrates being deposited behind the said baflie plates16 and upon the adjacenttloor 23, it will be seen that the said concentrates will be permitted to lie freely upon said floor 23 to be scooped into the bucket 52, said. bucket being placed into the receptacle 51 as shown in Figurel.

1. In an amalga-mating and concentrating machine of the class described, a frame,

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

a sluice operatively mounted in said frame upon two sets of links, one set of said links being extended upwardly from said frame to the front-bottom end of said sluice, and.

the other set of said links being extended downwardly from said frame to the re'arbottom end of said sluice, an adjustable vibrating means adapted to regulate the vibratory movements thereof, a power transmission means connected to said vibratingmeans, a riffie means positioned in the rear portion of said sluice adapted to concentra-te the minerals escaping in the tailings from said amalgamated ores, a pan'positioned in theforward end ofsa'id sluiceadapted to hold mineral amalga-mating elements, a box positioned above said pan, there being an ore screening means in the forwardbottom end of said box," and an ad 'justable shock and stroke compensating means adapted to regulate the movements of sa1d vibratory means; I

2.- In an amalgamating and concentrating machine of the class described, a frame,a

the other set of said links being extended 5 downwardly from said frame tothe 'rear- 7 bottom end of said sluice,'the second set of said links being adjustably suspended in said frame to regulate the lift and'stroke of the said sluice and riffle means, an adjustable vibrating means adapted to regulate the vibratory movements thereof, a power transm ssion means connected to said vibrating means, a riffle means positionedinthe'rear portion of said sluice adapted to concentrate the minerals escaping in the tailings from said amalgamated ores, a pan positioned'in the forward end of said sluice adapted to hold mineral a-malgamating elements, a-box Q positionedabove said pan, there being an ore screening means'in the forward bottom end of said box, and an adjustable shock and stroke compensating means adaptedto regaim the movements of said vibratory means. i

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

CHARLES E. SMITH. 

